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360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 3/2/2010

The Dance of the Company Officer

We start out this week by pointing to one of my “favoritest” partner bloggers at FireEMSblogs, Mick Mayers of FirehouseZen.

You know, I really enjoy the dance that occurs between the top and the bottom in the fire service organization.  At the top, the vision and direction of the group are put into play.  Those at the bottom need to accept, or buy into that vision in order for the group to move forward in a unified and cohesive manner.

In the middle we find the officers and supervisors.  Their commitment to the success of the organization is demonstrated by the way they convey the direction and vision from the top to their subordinates.  If they are effective, the organization becomes a well-oiled machine.  However if they don’t buy into the message, there is little hope for their subordinates to do the same.

This is where the officer needs to be able to put the needs of the organization ahead of the need to be pals with their guys.  This is one of the most difficult issues facing company officers.

Therein lies the dance.

As usual, this issue of change and leadership is best addressed by Chief Mick Mayers over at FirehouseZen.  From his latest post entitled “Get Everyone on Board”:

“Regardless of your organization, you are going to have personnel who are resistant to change, and while the troops may or may not decide to go willingly, it is a requirement that your officers or supervisors are.  If your small unit leaders aren’t on board, don’t count on the personnel they supervise joining in to resist them.  It will be much easier on those troops if they can get along with their misdirected officer than if they embrace the change, so you can count on the message not getting through when it is most needed.”

Read his post as there is much more on this topic that is important for all your officers to understand.

Fire Rescue TV

Check out Fire Rescue TV- a new website for firefighters that brings breaking news,new product reviews, and a special weekly fire rescue TV news segment.  All the video is extremely professional and rivals anything found on your home TV.

When we spoke with Executive Producer Martin Grube last week on Firefighter NetCast, he revealed an additional exciting element they have planned.  They will be visiting various firehouses and accompanying their crews during all aspects of the cooking portion of their shift.  Starting with planning, then shopping, then cooking and eating, Fire Rescue TV will follow the entire process from start to finish.  If the station’s crew draws a call, the video crew tags along as well. It’s a unique way for non-firefighters to witness this daily station activity.

So if you are in the mid-Atlantic region and want some excellent exposure of your department, invite Fire Rescue TV to your station!  They also welcome video submissions as well.  Make this new site a regular stop when perusing the interwebs.

Pole-Dancing Fireman

Speaking of videos, here’s some dessert for making it this far in the 360 Burn today.  This came to me courtesy of a tweet from our friend Chester Kopco, AKA FatherCabbage on the twitters.  It reminds me of someone I know.  Howabout you?

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Change, Command & Leadership, Just For Fun, Leadership, Technology & Communications, Videos

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360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 2/8/10

Not a great night in Indy…

According to firefighter reports, a man was heating grease on the stove when he decided he needed to go to the store.

Flamage ensued.

Although everyone got out safely, about 20 people were left without homes in the large apartment fire on Indianapolis’ northeast side late Sunday night. More on the story here.

“I don’t know what he was going to eat from that heated grease, but he’s probably a lot safer now then he would have been had he eaten it.” said one bystander.

iPod Charges, Chevy Suburban Crisps

Firefighters are warning drivers to unplug all electrical chargers from their vehicles when they are not running, after a charging iPod reportedly caused a Chevrolet Suburban to burn up last week. Read the full story at PublicOpinionOnline.com

Agreement Disagreement Changes Personnel Exchange Agreement Changing Personnel’s Pension Payout Agreement.

Damn.

Only a couple more months and he might have had it made.

If you missed it the first time around, be sure to catch Dave Statter’s story on Sarasota FL Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbee and what could have been a monetary windfall for him on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Washington D.C.

See how a “Personnel Exchange Agreement” was worked out (before being unworked-out) for the former DC Chief, ironically in charge of Community Outreach.  Then, compare that to the treatment given to critically burned DC firefighter Joe Morgan in another story over at STATter911.com.

Posted in 360 Burn, Fires, News, WTF?

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web- 1/21/2010

photo: Firenews.net

More Apparatus Accidents

Apparatus Accidents are headlining the news far too frequently again.  After medical issues, vehicle accidents kill more firefighters every year.  Read up the horrific injuries sustained by by firefighters in New Jersey, Kentucky, and North Carolina as related in FirefighterCloseCalls.com Then, take an active role on doing whatever you can to keep your department out of these types of headlines.

Do that today.

When Maydays Bring Crickets

While looking for a way out during a search, two veteran Cincinnati firefighters became trapped by a burning stairwell after one of them tumbled face first down six stairs, knocking his helmet and air mask off.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!” his partner called out over his fire radio.

Silence.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!” It was so quiet they wondered aloud if they were on the wrong channel. “Is anybody copying?” he asked as both men got critically low on air.

Why was this happening?  Read the article in Cincinnati.com by Sharon Coolidge to find out more on a new threat to modern firefighters.

Virginia Firefighters in Haiti Safe Following Aftershock

As if they didn’t already have enough on their plate, Mother Nature continued to keep things interesting as a 6.1 aftershock hammered the disaster area Wednesday morning.

All 83 members of the Virginia Task Force 2 were unscathed and are continuing their efforts at this moment.  You can follow VTF 2 on their cool website.

Despite all the obstacles that have been overcome by all of our heroic expert rescuers, the worse may still be on the way. Unfortunately, civil unrest is already making the situation more dangerous as Haitians increasingly turn to violence in their quest for the basic needs of food, water, and medicine.

Posted in 360 Burn, Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News, Special Operations, Technology & Communications, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus

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360 Burn Size Up of the Fire Web- 1/13/10

And the Winner is……….

Mark Glencourse, the creator of Medic999, emerged victorious in what ended up to be a neck-and-neck race to the finish for the Best Fire/EMS Blog of 2009.  Congratulations, Mark!

FireGeezer sure gave him a run for his money, as they each traded leads in the exciting final stretch.  But Mark had an entire Kingdom of loyal readers mobilized and they came through as the contest ended last night. He stayed up late (1:00 am UK time) to take the honor of becoming the first guest on the live premiere edition of FirefighterNetCast to accept his “award”.

Obvious to all but the most childish (;->), no one here wanted an Oscar or was hurt because they weren’t considered or didn’t win.

There are no trophies, but there is the sheer triumphant joy of “bragging rights”. Those that truly know the fire and EMS services can appreciate the value bragging rights bring.

On the NetCast, Mark spoke eloquently to the goal of the “contest”: a means by which to expand the awareness of so many excellent bloggers out there, whether in the contest or not.

He is “spot-on” (methinks is a favourite saying acrost the pond) with that viewpoint.   We really are fortunate to have so many high-quality bloggers sharing their thoughts, views, and perspectives.  If you have a few favorites which you regularly visit, be sure to take time to check out some of the other talent out there as well.

To those of us who lost and have the bitter taste of defeat today- I say- wash that taste away with a high-end lager and say what we always say here in in The Windy City (home of the Cubs): “Just wait ‘til next year!”

You can read Mark’s reaction to his win here.

Appreciation must go out to my buddy and partner Rhett Fleitz over at FireCritic for spending is valuable time, talent, and treasure in creating and hosting the contest.  If he wasn’t running the project, there is no doubt you would have seen FireCritic vying for the gold as well.

Also a quick shout-out to my Mom- Hi Mom, thanks for voting for me!  Yep, just you and 14 others!  No, it’s OK, I’m fine.  Again…

Congratulations again to Mark, as well as all the other fire and EMS bloggers.  Let the 2010 games begin now!

Helmet Cam and the Outside Vent Guy

Speaking of excellence in fire/EMS blogging, head on over to Traditions Training Blog and catch an excellent helmet-cam video of DC Firefighter Joe Brown as he performs the tasks as the “Outside Vent Guy”.  While viewing the video, Joe adds important training tips on laddering, opening up windows, gaining access, and vent-enter-search practices.  This is a must-see video for any firefighter that wants to be on top of his game as a truckie.

You may also want to check out Joe in yet another DC Fire helmet cam video of ”Outside Vent Guy” at my earlier post, “Be This Guy.”

We are so pleased to have Traditions Training Blog as one of our newest partners here on FireEMSblogs.  Traditions Training is composed of fire department veterans from around the country, including the Washington, D.C. metro area and City of New York. The mission of Traditions Training is to teach “beyond the book” and provide knowledge and skills that will enhance your safety, efficiency, and knowledge as a firefighter.  Be sure to bookmark them and stop in regularly!

Too Aggressive or Too Safety-Conscious?

One other member new to FireEMSblogs.com, but certainly a seasoned veteran fire chief and nationally-recognized fire service leader and educator, Christopher J. Naum joins us with his newest blog The Company Officer.

In a recent post entitled Company Fortitude & Courage to be Safety Conscious Chris tells us that “dynamic risks must be managed at the company level with a balanced approach of effective assessment, analysis and probability within company and command decision making that results in safety conscious strategies and tactics.”

Does your company have this level of courage, or is there room to evaluate your ability to recognize the situation and adjust the manner in which you accomplish your fireground tasks?  Let this blog plant a seed in your head as you embark out into the new year.

Content Was King!

A final thank you to all who listened and participated in the live premier of Firefighter NetCast Tuesday night.  Despite the technical glitches that seem to always be lurking in the shadows, Rhett and I were absolutely thrilled and honored to have the caliber of discussion and listener participation to make the show truly special.  Special thanks to our featured guest, Bill Carey over at Backstep Firefighter for his vast knowledge and continued focus on Line of Duty Deaths.

A live netcast brings special surprises, as we found out by calls from Chief Art Goodrich (Chief Reason Art) and Christopher Naum (see above).  The interaction between these three guests was simply extraordinary.  I believe this may have been the first time these gentlemen spoke together on one show, as well as relating to input from our listeners in the live chat room.  We are indeed proud to be a part of that.

If you missed it, you can link to the raw feed at our site (hurry, before I have a chance to splice and dice out the glitches!) and make it available on iTunes.

Our next NetCast will also be live, this time at 9pm ET on February 4.  The featured topic will be Old School vs. New School and Social Media.  All the information can be found here.  We hope you can join us!

*   *   *   *   *

Human Horror

As we watch the unimaginable human horror unfolding in Haiti where thousands have perished in the most intense earthquake there in 200 years, our hearts pour out to all those affected.  On a personal note, our family has an adopted child next door in the Dominican Republic and despite several attempts, we still aren’t able to determine her conditions.  Please pray for all of the victims.

We are so proud of the USAR teams and other specialized rescue workers from the United States who are either mobilizing now or are already on scene doing what they do best.

An earthquake survivor carries a small baby in a shanty town on the outskirts of Port au Prince, following a major earthquake in Haiti, Tuesday Jan. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Marek/American Red Cross, ho)

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Disasters, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Leadership, Line of Duty, NetCast, News, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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360 Burn Size-Up of the Fire Web 1/2/10

Stupidity, Buttons, and Balls- Oh, my!

With the holidays behind us, it feels good to me to get back into some type of routine.  Sipping a homemade three-shot sugar-free vanilla skim latte from my newly-aqcuired FireGeezer mug, one of the first things to do is to sit and flush.  Then I’m off to sit and flush again.

Whilst whistling Mr. Postman, I sit down and open my email, clicking through things to flush into my deleted items folder in a great attempt to stay ahead of the email pile that will surely accumulate.  Items that catch my eye are temporarily pardoned for future perusal.

This morning, the folks at FirefighterCloseCalls and The Secret List sent an email referring us all to their post Stupid Message, Buttons, Balls, and Forgetting the Secret List .  It takes about a minute or so to read.  I would urge you all to pause just one moment and start off the new year with these special thoughts.

How Would You Like to Be in This Academy Class?

Many times during the hunt for interesting blogs, we find ourselves stumbling upon something we’ve never before seen.  During one such hunt, Tiger Schmittendorf tripped over this blog written by St. Paul MN Fire Chief Tim Butler titled On Scene with Car One.  In recent years, St. Paul Fire Department has had some pretty public issues between firefighters and management.  If this blog is any indication, those days seem to be fading into the past.  Although not required to do so, and with decades of fire service already under his belt, Chief Butler has decided to attend and complete his own department’s academy as a recruit.

“Fundamentally, I believe that all members of the Saint Paul Fire Department’s uniformed division must share a common bond – a common culture – and a shared base of experience and perspective. We all must be confident in each member’s ability to operate safely and effectively on an incident scene or when representing our department to the public. It shouldn’t matter if we’re assigned to a hazardous materials team, an Advanced Life Support medic rig, or the Chief’s office – all of us should share the core competency and the shared experience of being first – and foremost – a firefighter.”  -Chief Tim Butler

How refreshing.  Thanks for sharing, Chief!  We’ll be watching.

God help anyone who finishes behind you.  Or ahead of you.

Cast Your Vote for Fire EMS Blog of the Year 2009

If you haven’t heard already, a contest is being held over at Fire Critic’s site.  We’re looking for the Best Fire/EMS Blog of 2009.  Voting is open for a few more days, so I urge you to take a couple seconds to shine the spotlight upon the blog you feel best fulfills the following criteria:

Caliber of posts relating to the Fire and/or EMS fields

Design elements in their blog

Professionalism towards our service(s)

Use of other social media to extend the network of their blog

Longevity as a blogger

Nomination period:

Begins on December 30, 2009 at 1500 hours EST and concludes on January 5, 2010 at 1459 hours EST.  Ten finalists will be picked by our judges (TBA) from the list of eligible nominees.

Read more information here…

(just one “l” in Daily)

Well, I’m out of latte for a moment.  I’ll trek back upstairs and schpritz up another.  If you had stock in Starbuck’s, dump it now.  Lori, Sue, and Rose will be seeing much less of their best customer as I’ve become my own barista.

Stay Stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, Just For Fun, Leadership

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360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 12/22/09

Chicago’s Gold Badge Society- One of a Kind

We know that a special type of brotherhood exists in the fire service.  In a Chicago Tribune story we see an example of the true blessings that brotherhood is made of.  Chicago’s Gold Badge Society recently held a Christmas Party bringing together many of the group’s 75 members, all of whom are relatives of Chicago firefighters and paramedics killed on the job. Read the story of how these wonderful people have helped the family of a Buffalo NY firefighter nearly killed in a roof collapse and putting him into a coma lasting almost 10 years.  If your active on Facebook, Chicago’s Gold Badge Society has it’s own Cause page, nearly reaching the goal of 2500 members.  Pop in and show your support!

Grab the Right Tool

If you cant get to the fire, you can’t make an interior attack.  Without good forcible entry skills, just prepare to set up for an exterior attack and all the fun that ensues with a winter water carnival.

The blog site VentEnterSearch.com is always a great spot to check out when looking to review your ability to recognize the way to best force entry in a given situation.  The most recent post gets you thinking about which is the best tool to use for gaining access into a special kind of door (your first choice is probably wrong).

As always, VentEnterSearch.com is worth your attention on a regular basis.

Station Fire Government Report Indicates Planes Ordered, Canceled, Then Re-Ordered

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich reportedly wants Congress to investigate how the firefighting was conducted in the county’s largest wildfire in history. The “Station Fire” ultimately killed two firefighters, destroyed 89 homes and blackened 250 square miles on the edge of Los Angeles.

According to a report from the Associated Press, questions still linger regarding the handling of the incident.  Chief among them is the apparent two-hour delay of three aerial tankers summoned by the U.S. Forest Service who later canceled then reordered them again according to Forest Service records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act.  Read the entire story here

Posted in 360 Burn, Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, WTF?, Wildland

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360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/12/09

The New Haven 20 Finally Get Their Due

Amid blaring bagpipes, the crowd erupted with even louder cheers, whistles and shouts when firefighters entered a high school auditorium to receive their promotional badges after a 5-year legal battle that ended with a U.S. Supreme Court victory. Read more on the promotions of the group who became known as the New Haven 20 and the finish line they crossed yesterday in a contest that began back in 2003.

Berkshire County Loses National/Local Treasure

A five alarm fire marks the end of a historic and beloved building in the Massachusetts Berkshires this week.  The Egremont Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, having been around since before the American Revolution.  The three-story wood frame structure did not have a sprinkler system.  Of course, the cause has not yet been determined.  One firefighter suffered minor injuries. Read more from the Boston Globe here.

VIDEO:  When it becomes second nature, training can save your life.

Toronto firefighters on a residential second-floor interior attack forced to bailout a window and down a ladder.  See how each firefighter came down the ladder and file it away in your memory banks under training.  Also a great “Reading Smoke” video…


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Today’s 360 Burn Size-Up of the Fire Web 12/8/08

We Danced With the Devil

Thanks to Bobby G at FireFighters Close Calls for pointing me in the direction of this emotional story of a firefighter’s battle with cancer.  The full story is in the December issue of Firehouse Magazine.  It’s a riveting account filled with emotional looks at what our fellow brothers and sisters face when first hit by the bulldozer of a cancer diagnosis.  This is a super-rough read, but carries some very crucial advice for us all.  Read it and weep.  But then learn and act.

DHS Announces Text Messaging of Threats and Alerts

Yesterday, FEMA and the FCC announced they have adopted design specs for the development of a gateway interface that will enable wireless carriers to provide its customers with timely and accurate emergency alerts and warnings via their cell phones and other mobile devices.  It’s another component of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the nation’s next generation of emergency alert and warning networks.

The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) is one of many projects within IPAWS intended to provide emergency mangers and the President of the United States a means to send alerts and warnings to the public. Specifically, CMAS provides Federal, state, territorial, tribal and local government officials the ability to send 90 character geographically targeted text messages to the public regarding emergency alert and warning of imminent threats to life and property, Amber alerts, and Presidential emergency messages. The CMAS is a combined effort of the federal government and cellular providers to define a common standard for cellular alerts.  More information can be found at FEMA’s website here.

Man Drives Tractor Into Manure Pond

United States (California) – A dairy worker drove a tractor into a manure pond this morning at a farm south of Fresno. The Fresno County Fire Department reported the worker became disoriented by dense fog near Manning and Marks avenues and drove the machine down an embankment just before 7 a.m. The tractor ended up in about seven feet of water, spokesman Chris Christopherson said.

As firefighters prepared to rescue him, the man rolled down a window, dived into the water and swam about 20 feet to safety, Christopherson said.

He was not injured.

Written by The Fresno Bee

Posted in 360 Burn, Disasters, Firefighter Safety & Health, News, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics

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360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/3/2009

Ten Years Ago Today

On December 3, 1999, the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire took the lives of six firefighters.  Head on over to FirefighterCloseCalls.com for a full report, complete with links to articles, photos, audio, and much more.

Follow that up with a read of an article entitled “A Chief’s Perspective” by retired Worcester District Fire Chief Michael O. McNamee and hope you never have to go through his nightmare. With trapped crews inside and after others had gone in to save them,  Chief McNamee ordered that no more firefighters go in.  He was met with heated threats of physical violence by his firefighters on the scene, many demanding to allow them to go in to rescue their brothers.  But he hung firm- and in doing so stopped that massive fire from killing any more of his men that night.  Thanks, Chief.  Use the information at FirefighterCloseCalls.com to create a training session for everyone on your department, especially for the newer guys who may never have heard the tragic details.

More is Less is Less is More

Did you catch the post by FireGeezer on Tuesday about the Newark (OH) fire chief who did the math?  Turns out that hiring more firefighters resulted in less overtime costs (way less).  Read the story about how fire chief Jack Stickradt was able to show the city manager how it could be done, after which the mayor followed suit.  Now with more firefighters, there’s les OT, less injuries, and more safety.  Hmmm.I’ve always wondered why a municipality would want to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than hire more people…

Next on the horizon for firefighters?   Personal air conditioning…ahhhhhh…

Colorado State University engineering professors are using a $917,000 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to develop technology that would protect firefighters’ cardiovascular health and stave off heat stress. Researchers will use a device called the SCAMP (Super Critical Air Mobility Pack) device from Niwot Technologies that can cool firefighters and hazmat teams as they work. SCAMP was developed for and used by NASA astronauts 20 years ago and uses cryogenically-cooled air in a thin compact case. Their work looks to help alleviate the number one cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths (cardiovascular failure- 43% of all deaths) by providing up to four hours of purified air and body cooling. See more here.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Leadership, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Never Forget, News, Staffing, training-fire-rescue-topics

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360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/1/2009

Check Out Real Sports on HBO Tonight for This Amazing Story

A New York City firefighter completes an Ironman Triathlon. Special enough, but Matthew Long did it after being hit, no, rolled over by a city bus. With less than a 1% chance of survival and 40 surgeries later, Long accomplished this amazing feat.

Not many people can complete an Ironman, and it’s hard to imagine anyone completing an Ironman after going through what Long went through. But Long is an inspiration, and the Real Sports segment on HBO is a good look at a man who refused to quit.

Pennsylvania Fire Department Suffers an Axing of Over Half the Fire Department- See Why:

According to information from certified public accountants, poor accounting practices and questionable transfers under prior administrations are blamed for the fiscal nightmare that resulted in the axing of 7 of the 13 firefighters in Uniontown, PA. Fire Chief Chuck Coldren pleaded with the council to avert the layoffs, repeating earlier assertions that the safety of both firefighters and residents will be endangered with the scaled-back staff.

“With the six guys who are left, it’s going to be a real nightmare for me to figure out how we’re going to operate. It’s a scary situation,” Coldren said.

My question is: what should happen to those responsible for the financial mess if someone gets hurt or killed now? City Clerk Kim Marshall said some of the deficiencies uncovered in the audit have been referred to state police and the state attorney general’s office for investigation.

Here’s more on the story from The Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and a video story from WPXI.com.

Puppy Resuscitated by Firefighters is Their New Mascot

A Dalmatian she’s not, but the 11-week-old Labrador mix puppy aptly named “Smokey” is the new mascot of the Jacksonville (IL) Fire Department. At a house fire nearly a month ago, firefighters found the pup lying near the back door and successfully resuscitated her with special oxygen kits for animals donated to their department.

Smokey’s learning to become a part of the crew as firefighters are teaching her to show children how to stop, drop, and roll. More on how this all came together here with a story by Maria Nagle of the Jacksonville Journal-Courier. More positive PR for firefighters….

Firefighter Curt Rueter plays with Smokey as driver engineer Jim Williams cooks after returning to the Jacksonville Fire Department substation after a day of training.

photo by Robert Leistra

Posted in 360 Burn, Funding & Staffing, IAFF, News, Pub Ed, Staffing, WTF?

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360 Burn Size-Up of the Fire Web 11/29/2009

Fire Chief Shot by Off-Duty OK Police Officer- Cop is Dead

FirefighterCloseCalls.com has the story of a shooting in Mangum (OK) on Thanksgiving afternoon which wounded the town’s Fire Chief and lead police a standoff with one of their own dead. It is unknown if the Chief was on or off-duty but it appears he was shot by the cop, who is his relative. Mangum is known for the “light bulb” in the firehouse that has been burning for over 75 years. Read the story here.

“You have to pull hoses, hop over fences and work those lines. That just takes people.”

A vacant four-story factory fire Tuesday night in Reading, PA demonstrated exactly why looming personnel cuts will force the department to drastically change the way it fights these large fires. With the already thinly-stretched full complement of 22 firefighters and 10 call-backs, fire crews attacked the building from all four sides to successfully protect the exposures. The same fire with fewer personnel will potentially cause huge problems. The full story here.

The Cost to Replace Turnout Gear is Still Less Than the Cost Not to….

Small volunteer fire departments are struggling to come up with funding to replace old turnout gear, the protective pants and coat that firefighters wear while they battle blazes. New National Fire Protection Association guidelines say that firefighters should only wear turnout gear that is less than 10 years old inside burning structures. These departments don’t have enough money to buy new gear, nor do they have enough money to settle litigation should a firefighter get injured or worse. Read more on that dilemma here.

Posted in 360 Burn, Firefighter Safety & Health, News, Staffing, WTF?

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If We Do What We’ve Always Done, We’ll Get What We’ve Always Gotten…

I see that NIOSH reports have popped up on the radar of the blogosphere recently.  Frankly, I’m surprised at the heat a few have been giving them.  Maybe I’ve been missing something (it’s happened before). So I took a closer look.
We already know that heart attacks and traffic accidents are the main murderers of us firefighters, so I’m sure we’ve already dedicated the necessary resources to firefighter health and safety initiatives and accident scene safeguards to keep these killers from having free reign over our troops.
Right?
So, I went to the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports page from NIOSH and randomly picked 5 of the reports with deaths involving fire suppression. I was looking for patterns. Guess what I found….
NIOSH Report 2008-26
A residential basement fire had been burning for over 30 minutes. A crew was directed to enter the first floor to perform horizontal ventilation and found a spongy floor. The last (victim) of the four-man crew was just about out when the floor collapsed into the basement on top of working crews. Heavy smoke conditions hampered efforts to locate the victim and he died on the scene.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Sizeup, Risk/Gainensure that the incident commander (IC) conducts a 360 degree size-up which includes risk versus gain analysis prior to committing interior operations and continues risk assessments throughout the operations”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “ensure that standard operating procedures are established for a basement fire”

Coordinated Ventilation-ensure that proper ventilation is done to improve interior conditions and is coordinated with the interior attack”

TIC-ensure that interior crews are equipped with a thermal imaging camera”

RIT/RIC-ensure that Rapid Intervention Teams are staged and ready”

NIOSH Report 2008-34

One of only three firefighters on the scene, the victim entered a burning residence alone with a partially-charged 1 ½ inch line and became lost in thick-black smoke, radioing for help from the other two. They couldn’t locate him, a flashover occurred, and the home became fully engulfed. A cop found him an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up, Risk/Gain- “ensure that officers and fire fighters know how to evaluate risk versus gain and perform a thorough scene size-up before initiating interior strategies and tactics”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Staffing-ensure that adequate numbers of apparatus and fire fighters are on scene before initiating an offensive fire attack in a structure fire”

Coordinated Ventilation-ensure that properly coordinated ventilation is conducted on structure fires”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available at structure fires”

SCBA-ensure fire fighters are trained in essential self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and emergency survival skills”

Mayday- “ensure that protocols are developed on issuing a Mayday so that fire fighters and dispatch centers know how to respond”

NIOSH Report 2008-08

30 minutes into a residential fire, crews had been pulled out. A decision was made to send a crew back in to extinguish the fire. A crew of 3 (A/C, Capt, FF) made their way into the basement of the burning structure with an 1¾ line. One by one they evacuated due to conditions. The third never came up the stairs. RIT was activated but repelled by the heat. Victim found an hour later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Risk vs. Gain-ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risks versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive

SOP’s/SOG’s- “review, revise as necessary, and enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to include specific procedures for basement fires and two-in/ two-out procedures

TIC-enforce standard operating guidelines (SOGs) regarding thermal imaging camera (TIC) use during interior operations

Mayday- ensure that fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they are in distress, and/or become lost or trapped

NIOSH Report 2008-06

Without the protection of a charged hoseline, a Lt and FF (victim) were searching a 2-story residence for a trapped occupant. They did not know where the victim was and had no TIC. Conditions deteriorated, trapping the two on the second floor. The LT exited the front door and RIT was deployed to get the victim. Both were hospitalized and the victim succumbed to burn injuries 5 days later.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up-ensure the Incident Commander receives pertinent information during the size-up (i.e., type of structure, number of occupants in the structure, etc.) from occupants on scene and that information is relayed to crews upon arrival”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement, and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fireground operations”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure ventilation is coordinated with interior fireground operations”

TIC-ensure that fire fighters conducting an interior search have a thermal imaging camera”

Mayday- “ensure that Mayday protocols are developed and followed”

NIOSH Report 2007-32

Two firefighters died while conducting an interior attack to locate, confine, and extinguish a fire located in the cockloft of a restaurant. One victim had been flowing water into the cockloft from the kitchen, another had been checking for fire extension in the main dining area. At about 5 minutes in, a rapid fire event occurred.

Among the NIOSH recommendations:

Size-up- Risk vs. Gain- “ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before beginning interior fire fighting operations and continually evaluates the conditions to determine if the operations should become defensive”

SOP’s/SOG’s- “develop, implement and enforce written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the hazards and define the strategies and tactics to be used while operating at specific structures known as “taxpayers”

Coordinated Ventilation- “ensure that fire fighters understand the influence of ventilation on fire behavior and coordinate with interior fire suppression operations”

RIT/RIC- “ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) / rapid intervention team (RIT) is established and available to immediately respond to emergency rescue incidents”

TIC-use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) during the initial size-up and search phases of a fire”

Any patterns?
Size-up, Risk vs. Gain- Does your first in crew perform a 360 and report an accurate size up of conditions to all others? Is a risk vs. gain assessment actually made? Are your initial tactics based upon these findings?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Are your SOP’s/SOG’s current to the ever-changing tasks being performed at your incidents? Do you follow them? Do you even have any?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is ventilation performed early and integrated with your interior attack? Or has ventilation worked its way down to fifth or sixth on your list of priorities? After all, it will eventually vent itself.
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Is a RIT/RIC established early on? If you don’t have the personnel to form a RIT/RIC, do you have a mutual aid response to give you the number of firefighters needed to operate safely?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
Does your department have at least one Thermal Imaging Camera? It’s been called the best thing since SCBA in many firefighting circles. You have SCBA, right? Does your department know to call a Mayday early? Too macho to call it? Does EVERYONE ON THE SCENE know what to do when a Mayday is called?
Why not? Didn’t you try to implement the NIOSH recommendations to keep from killing your firefighters?
WHY ARE WE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH?
Are the reports too difficult to understand? Perhaps we need to dumb them down or fluff them up? Fine. I’m all for whatever it takes.
But let’s not forget that the reports are just that- reports. We need to make the changes, NIOSH ain’t gonna do that for us.
So read the reports, see how they killed our brothers, and take a hard look at how you and your department operate.
THEN IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR GUYS ALIVE.
Because if we continue to do it the same way, we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. Another NIOSH report with the same ol’ stuff.

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, LODD, Line of Duty, Rescues, Training, Training & Development, WTF?, training-fire-rescue-topics

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360 Burn Size-Up of the Fire Web 11/13/2009

Making Due

Fire destroyed a convenience store/gas station business in Oakes, ND last Tuesday night, but the underground storage tanks and gas pumps were not damaged, according to news reports. Several firefighters and apparatus responded and worked for hours to contain and suppress the fire.

Water tenders were supplemented by two cement trucks full of water sent by two businesses in Oakes.

“On a service station fire you definitely handle things differently,” said Randy Burley, Oakes Fire Department Chief.

Breathing Toxins vs. Religious Discrimination

In an EEOC complaint citing Title VII, three Orthodox Jewish medics have charged the Pikesville Volunteer (MD) Fire Company with religious discrimination, alleging they were barred from responding to calls unless they shaved their beards. They further allege the fire company is retaliating for their membership in Hatzalah, an emergency response organization made of mostly of Orthodox Jews in northwest Baltimore. Apparently the Hatzalah beats the Pikesville Volunteers to some scenes which has caused friction between the groups.

Citing the Baltimore County Fire Department SOP’s, a lawyer for the fire company pointed to a regulation allowing for mustaches and sideburns “only if they do not interfere with the proper seal of a breathing apparatus face piece.” Fire officers have been instructed to keep bearded responders off the apparatus.

See the full report from Yeshiva World News

Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places

Armed only with a cell phone and a need, police say 29-year-old Joshua Basso found himself between a rock and a hard place.

After running out of cell phone minutes and still looking for sex, 911 was the only number this Tampa, Florida man was left to dial. Police say he called several times requesting permission from the 911 operator to come to her house.

Instead, police came to his house and gave him a ride to their house.

Posted in 360 Burn, News

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360 Burn Around The Fire Web

Up where I live, we had no real spring this year. Last winter lasted about 8 months, seriously. Now I noticed that the leaves that had just started falling last week are almost completely gone from all my trees. Welcome back to winter in Chicagoland. As nature changes her seasons, we enter a new season as well: our busy season.

It’s no accident that our public education kicks into high gear this time of year, either. What we say and do out there in the public makes a tangible difference. Mark my words; we will be hearing a story about what some kindergartner did to save his family after having learned it from a friendly local fireman who stopped by his school this month.

I hear firefighters that originally don’t look forward to school talks come back afterward bubbling about what a great time it actually turned out to be. Not only have they performed a great service, they had a blast interacting with the kids. Kudos to all of you who devote your time and energy to this important aspect of fire service.

To Serve and Reset

One type of call we’ll see more often now are the responses to sprinkler system alarms and activations. In our department, we’re relegating valuable space previously occupied by grass fire brooms and assigning squeegees in their spots for the burst pipe calls. BC Michael Lee posted a great resource called A Response Guide for Sprinkler Systems. It’s a comprehensive step-by-step plan of attack that you can refer to when planning your responses. If you need a starting point for an SOG, or just want your officers and crews to have a quick refresher, take a look!

Your Cheatin’ Heart

Earlier this week, Chief Reason Art addressed cheating. He continues his thoughts in the second verse of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and reveals just how rampant cheating has become in the fire service. When it makes the press, it is devastating. Art gives numerous links that show just how widespread it has become. He lists several questions that make us look inward to see if our actions (or inactions) actually contribute to the current climate.

The bigger issue involves each of us. Do we accept and condone such activity? If we allow it to continue, we risk losing the public admiration so freely given to us. That would be a heavy penalty to pay. Don’t let it happen.

The Reach of Brotherhood

For 17 years, Greg LaRue was a proud Fort Worth, TX firefighter. “I had my dream job,” he said. But his life unraveled about two years ago. Instead of a firehouse, he found himself waiting in line at shelters, living off free meals, without a penny to his name.

Read the story of his journey back from rock bottom in Monday’s Star-Telegram. You’ll find a perfect example of the “reach of brotherhood” as exemplified by the warm hearts of his brothers at Station 33. Joe Lowrey, an engineer at Station 33, said: “Even though he’s not here, he’s still like one of our own. He’s a good friend to all of us, and we’re all pulling for him.”

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Change, Firefighting Operations, Training, Training & Development

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360 Burn Around the Fire Web

Mandating Among Volunteers

Jason Zigmont, Executive Director of The Center for Public Safety Education, sheds light on the art of mandating certain components of a volunteer department. “Anytime a volunteer department makes something ‘mandatory’ there is usually an outcry from the members along the lines of, “I joined the volunteer department, not the mandatory department.” Like anything else involving people, there is an ‘art’ to making it happen using the right approach and a solid foundation. Read his blog here.

No One is Invincible

“…in the day of rapid intervention, Vent Enter Search, NIMS, aggressive tactics and 2-in 2-out, I ask you all this; Take a little time to consider that it isn’t only important to come home from your next run, but to be able to spend some time with your family after you hang up the leather for good.”

In the Backstep Firefighter’s Blog, guest writer David LeBlanc offers up Making it To and Through Retirement, an article that hits close to home for many of us, especially today. He addresses your responsibility to your family and yourself to stay on top of your health with regular cancer screenings. It’s not “the other guy’s disease”, as he puts it.

Short and to the point, it’s worth your time to give it a read. I’ll also post the link he offers: American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer

Close-Knit Roanoke Loses a Brother

Today is the funeral for Captain Chris Brown (seated, left) of the Roanoke, VA Fire Department, a brother of our partner, FireCritic. His life was cut cruelly short and he left us so quickly. I never met the man but after reading about him and the way he interacted with those around him, I feel I know him.

We all know a guy on our department like Chris who will always go out of his way to give you a hand whenever you needed it. Cheerful and professional, he left behind an excellent example of what a “brother” truly is. We join everyone in extending our thoughts and love to the family and friends he left behind as his life was cut so cruelly short. We share your grief.

This was a rough week.  Let’s have a better one this week.

Stay Stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Brotherhood, Firefighter Safety & Health

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web

Wow. What a week!

In my weekly 360 Burn, I usually try to find interesting posts that may not normally pop up on your radar. That’ll have to wait until next time, because with all the talk about Balloon Boy and the suspended firefighter in Pennsylvania, my partners at FireEMSblogs.com have really stepped up and given us some must-reads.

Did you find yourself thinking, as I did, about handling of the response to the Balloon Boy incident? Dave Statter (STATter911.com) has put together a comprehensive report- complete with audio of emergency communications. If you haven’t seen it yet, you must check it out here. Use it for a tabletop training on the utilization and coordination of multiple agencies chasing an incident that’s running away from you. Thanks, Dave!

“Treating everyone with a broad brush when it is not indicated is never a good idea.  But failing to comply with an order from the leadership who is trying do their job by creating some uniform and objective rules isn’t a good idea either.” So says Mick Mayers in his take on the firefighter suspension at FirehouseZen.com . We’ve learned to appreciate at his posts on leadership and his latest nails it right on the head.

Also sharing his perspective on the flap in Chester, PA, ChiefReasonArt gives his take. “…now that the whole nation is watching, more decisions will have to be made that will leave all sides on the losing end. And in the end, personal choices and personal liberties will shrink even further; all because common sense was missing from the equation.” Another must-read.

If you haven’t heard about his newest giveaway, FireCritic is offering up the new Monopoly Firefighter Edition game with a winner being chosen just in time for the holidays. I’m already getting one for each of our stations for when the guys get sick of the Wii. It’s easy to enter, see FireCritic’s post for the full details.

Stay Stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, News

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360 Burn Around the Fire Web

Stuff Worth Your Time

FireGeezer describes one department’s ongoing aggravation with two almost-new rigs constantly out of service in his post Sick Ambulances in Connecticut. Imagine both of your two front-line ambuli are rarely available. Turns out they are not alone; several problems are popping up all across the northeast, prompting a class-action suit against Ford.

There are some illuminating blogs out there regarding blogs.

1. You can really get an informed insight into the sources of your blogs by finding out where the authors are coming from. ChiefReasonArt.com offers his “blogging principles” in his post The Art of Blogging.

2. If you missed it before, The Fire Critic addresses the right and responsibility bloggers have at his post Keeping Up With the Joneses: “…It is up to us to bring our issues to the forefront. We need to stand up for what is right and demand what we deserve.”

3. Mick Mayers at FirehouseZen.com shines light on efforts to get people to engage effectively with each other- rather than solely with emotion- in his post, Science is Your Friend.

Finally, some exciting news from the fire/EMS blogosphere: FireDaily.com will be teaming up with several of the top bloggers you’ve been enjoying for years in a new collaboration. The result will be more of the same excellent content made even easier to find. We’ll have details shortly, but please, pardon our dust as update and improve our site in the next week or so.

Stay Stoked!

-J

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360 Burn Around the Fire Web

Web Stuff Absolutely Worth Checking Out

28th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend 

FF Memorial “The weekend features special programs for survivors and co-workers along with public ceremonies. New survivors will have the opportunity to meet fire service survivors from across the country so that you can share experiences, make lasting friendships, and begin to look ahead. The Memorial Weekend is a time for sharing and healing for the families of our fallen firefighters.”

 

 

On TheKitchenTable site, Christopher Naum blogs of this weekend’s activities at the Memorial, located on the grounds of the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

This weekend, a plaque with the names of 103 firefighters killed in the line of duty in 2008 will be added to the Memorial.

If you are unable to attend this weekend, make it a point to stop here anytime you are in the Baltimore/D.C. area.  I found the Memorial to be quite inspiring and incredibly spiritual even when my daughter and I were the lone visitors one autumn day a few years back.

 

First In

First In BET FireCritic.com is always worth a look, and he leaves not wanting once again. Black Entertainment Television (BET) has a new show called First In. FireCritic gives us quite a thorough review on this show he describes as a “COPS” version of firefighting.

Did you miss the first two episodes? He’s got ‘em all linked up for you.  Cool!

 

Firefighters Seek Actions- Not Words

“It’s not enough to tell someone they are lucky to have a job. It worked in the 30′S but today it doesn’t wash.”

Amen.

FirefighterHourly.com hits it right on the head with this post. If you find your department grappling with a negativity problem, try to lay hands on the book written by Chief Rick Laskey, Pride and Ownership. Here’s an excerpt: Laskey pride and ownership

  • Who owns your fire department?
  • It’s been said for years that being a firefighter is the best job in the world. Why is it the best?
  • What kind of a leader does it take to provide that feeling?
  • Just as important: What kind of firefighter does it take?
  • Do you own your fire department?
  • Do you know where it all started and why?
  • Do you have that pride, that love for the job, or do you just show up?

You might also want check out my earlier post on bad attitudes. When you see Mr. Negative sulk in through the door at your house, you have quite a job ahead of you. Try to remind him of the stoked feeling he had when he realized he was hired/appointed. Once he remembers how cool that was, try to get him to identify things he can do to get that feeling back.

He deserves the help, and you owe it to him to get him off the negative track. More importantly, it’s not just about him; it’s about the whole crew now.

 

Enjoy the weekend and keep the shiny side up!

-J.

Posted in 360 Burn, Just For Fun, LODD, Leadership

360-Burn Around the Web

“If you know your job, they can’t touch you” says Jay Lowry on his Firefighter Hourly Podcast.  Everyone realizes who knows their stuff and who doesn’t.  What should we do with a sub-par individual or company?  Jay offers his opinions on this topic that touches every firefighter in every department. 

How are your revenue streams?  Got local politicians focused on your budget more than usual?    FireGeezer’s Morning Lineup trains a floodlight on the shared agreement issues currently facing  Florida’s Orange County and the City of Orlando.  Look for more stories like these in the coming months, especially in cash-strapped states such as Florida and California.

Have you stopped for a minute today and taken a good look around?” posts Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on KitchenTable.com.  Next time you find yourself stuck in traffic coming back from food shopping, ask your partners to take a good look around and exercise their powers of observation.  Any hazards?  What problems would we have gaining the roof on that building? Did we forget garlic?

C. Peter "Pete" Jorgensen, Publisher and Editor of Fire Apparatus and Equipment Magazine passed away over the weekend.  Read more here at FirefighterCloseCalls.com

Many thanks to all for your energy and input.

Posted in 360 Burn, Brotherhood, Training